John Cohen, who writes for Science magazine has given readers an outstanding summary history of how NIH got involved with gain of function (GOF) research through a company called EcoHealth Alliance, which gave the Wuhan WIV research facility $3.5 million to study coronaviruses found in bat sh*t. Deep in the guano is Peter Daszak, head of EcoHealth. Citing “SARS-CoV, which causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the disease that nearly triggered a pandemic in 2003,” Daszak pushes the argument that he was looking to be ahead of the curve in understanding the virus and to perhaps develop a vaccine ahead of time. Cohen does an excellent job of bringing us up to snuff on the whole issue -- from the reinstating of funds for GOF research under Trump (and the president’s lack of knowledge of the reinstatement: he pulled the grant immediately) to Peter Daszak’s potential culpability.
At www.science.org
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