Thread by @Ayjchan

Forms of intimidation a scientist can expect to face if they publicly ask for an investigation of a lab #OriginOfCovid

1. Accused of encouraging racist right-wing conspiracy theorists

2. Accused of being an unqualified grifter

3. Retaliation in academia

4. Threats+harassment

And most ridiculously:

5. Accused of spreading #OriginOfCovid misinformation because they don't talk enough about natural recombination in viruses.

When there is literally a 2018 research plan by Wuhan-US scientists that could have led to the creation of the pandemic virus.

When my colleagues and I said in 2020 that both natural and lab #OriginOfCovid hypotheses were viable, we had no idea the kind of s***storm we were going to get sucked into. We had no idea that this was ongoing in the background:
theintercept.com/2023/01/19/cov…

This is a situation where it's better, career-wise, for scientists to not say anything even if future outbreaks continue to come from labs doing risky pathogen research.

But we live in a world where a lab accident in another country can cause your loved ones to die.

Is the calculation here that a handful of scientists will push for a proper investigation of a lab #OriginOfCovid at their own peril?

You're willing to bet millions of lives and trillions of dollars on the persistence of a handful of scientists?

I consider it a cop-out when I hear other scientists say the #OriginOfCovid is not important.

I also consider it a cop-out when I hear other scientists say we won't find the #OriginOfCovid because of the Chinese government.