• Flying Squid@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    18
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    1 year ago

    They’re parroting conspiracy theory nonsense about a lab leak and how the U.S. was ‘funding gain-of-function research’ as if that’s not what pretty much all virology research is these days.

    The fact is we need institutes studying coronaviruses. Especially in Asia, where so many originate. This is a very bad idea.

    • iopq@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      It’s not a conspiracy theory if it’s an accidental leak. It’s happened before in the Soviet Union and people died, although it didn’t lead to an epidemic

      The conspiracy theory is “COVID was engineered to affect Jews and Chinese less prior to being released on purpose”

      These are different claims, and accidental leak is at least plausible and only blames the lab for improper safety precautions

        • jonne@infosec.pub
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          1 year ago

          The US was actually funding research in the Wuhan institute through the NIH. It makes sense, as the caves in that Chinese province are home to the bats that have corona viruses like the original SARS and possibly covid-19.

        • JasSmith@kbin.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          9
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          which implies it was engineered

          It was engineered. They have admitted that. Coronavirus was manipulated in the Wuhan Institute of Virology to become more infectious. The contention is around the term “gain of function.” Fauci changed the definition some years ago to skirt the funding bans imposed by Obama. His new definition requires intent to make a virus more communicable or virulent for humans. Since the WIV didn’t intend to make it more communicable or virulent for humans, Fauci maintains it is not “gain of function” research.

          I don’t see why this is so hard for some people to accept. Chinese laboratory standards are among the worst in the world. Article after article after article details their abysmal safety standards. Why on Earth should we believe that this specific lab were somehow better? Of course it wasn’t. Of course some unqualified technician made a mistake. This was always the concern about gain of function research, which was why Obama banned it.

    • porkins@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      1 year ago

      Conspiracy theory nonsense?

      How is this nonsense?

      According to a review by the HHS, the facility in China’s Wuhan, where Covid is said to have first emerged, has violated biosafety protocols and is not complying with US regulations.

      They disregarded bio safety regulations.

      The lab, located in the city where the Covid pandemic is believed to have begun, has faced intense scrutiny due to its reported security lapses and over research that has been carried out on bat coronaviruses.

      Specifically COVID research.

      Intelligence officials of the Joe Biden administration have been pushed by lawmakers to release more material about the origins of Covid. But they have repeatedly argued that China’s official obstruction of independent reviews has perhaps made it impossible to determine how the pandemic began.

      China is conspiring in obstruction per the top leaders of the land.