Was this Pandemic Man-Made and, in Part, Funded by the U.S.?
The infectious disease section of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has had many wonderful successes in fighting diseases, for instance, the viral AIDS epidemic (Ref.1). As the largest funder of biomedical research, their goals become the focus of major laboratories around the world. By about 2008 they decided to try to better understand how the many possible spontaneous changes to animal viral pathogens could become more dangerous to humans, so as to be better able to defeat them. Thus, they supported using molecular biology techniques to intentionally make these pathogens more deadly. However, within the scientific community there arose serious questions regarding the wisdom of artificially creating deadly viral pathogens that may escape the laboratory, initially H5N1 bird flu (Ref.2,3). Addressing these concerns, Drs. Fauci, Nabel and Collins, senior leaders of the NIH defended this policy in a 2011 Washington Post opinion piece titled, A flu virus risk worth taking (Ref.4). Then when the Coronavirus diseases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Mideastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) appeared, efforts quickly shifted to Coronavirus research with a focus on Elephant Bat viruses. Many millions of U.S. dollars were spent by the Infectious Disease Section of the NIH (Ref.5). Other sources of funding were the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Dept. of Defense, the Predict Program (searching worldwide for new viruses) of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) with funds to Wuhan China through the EcohealthAlliance headed by Dr. Peter Daszak. (Ref.6)
There continued to be an ongoing debate as to the wisdom of funding experiments using animal viruses not infectious to humans, deliberately changing their molecular structure so that they became exceedingly dangerous. Concern for safety in the scientific community increased, causing the NIH to establish a moratorium (2014-2017) of funding this research (Ref.7,8). It appears that the Wuhan and North Carolina labs did receive funding during the moratorium. In 2017 the NIH, continuing its 2011 policy decision of accepting risk, announced the ending of the moratorium (Ref 9,10). During the moratorium in 2015, the Wuhan China and North Carolina laboratories published an important paper describing their progress in molecular engineering a humanized, highly infectious Coronavirus first isolated from the feces of elephant bats some 600 plus miles from Wuhan (Ref.11,12).
The possibility that the Wuhan level 4 viral facility could have a breach of one of its weaponized viruses was deemed possible as warned by an American review team (Ref.13). Thus, it is difficult to believe that it is merely a coincidence that the pandemic began in the close proximity of the Wuhan lab (Ref 14). The extent of funding of these experiments with American dollars needs careful investigation. For whatever reason, China is making investigations of the source of SARS-CoV-2 difficult, but this need not deter a U.S. inquiry independent of the WHO (Ref.15). We should trace the flow of monies from U.S. federal sources and review the grant applications of both the North Carolina and Wuhan labs.
There must be a serious societal debate as to the wisdom of funding these experiments in the name of science; better alternatives should be pursued. The cost of this pandemic in human loss and treasure is beyond measure. This whole line of research was supported by those employed by the government with little input as to the wisdom of these experiments from elected policy leaders.
1) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, “Laboratory of Viral Diseases, Ted Pierson, Ph.D., Director,” NIH, March 19, 2018, available at: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/lab-viral-diseases (Accessed Feb. 6, 2021)
2) Allison Young and Nick Penzenstadler, “Investigation Reveals Hundreds Of Accidents, Safety Violations And Near Misses Put People At Risk,” USA Today, May 28, 2015, available at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/05/28/biolabs-pathogens-location-incidents/26587505/ (Accessed Jan. 20, 2021
3) Opinion – Editorial, ”An Engineered Doomsday,” The New York Times, Jan. 7, 2012, available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/opinion/sunday/an-engineered-doomsday.html (Accessed Jan.21, 2021)
4) Opinion, Anthony S. Fauci, Gary J. Nabel and Francis S. Collins, “A flu virus risk worth taking,” The Washington Post, December 30, 2011, available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-flu-virus-risk-worth-taking/2011/12/30/gIQAM9sNRP_story.html Accessed Jan. 22, 2012)
5) Fred Guterl, “Dr Fauci Backed Controversial Wuhan Lab with U.S. Dollars for Risck Coronavirus Research,” Newsweek, April 28, 2020, available at: https://www.newsweek.com/dr-fauci-backed-controversial-wuhan-lab-millions-us-dollars-risky-coronavirus-research-1500741 (Accessed Jan. 22, 2012)
6) Correction: Corrigendum: “A SARS-like cluster of circulating bat coronaviruses show potential for human emergence,” Nat Med, 2016; 22(4):446, available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7095988/ (Accessed Jan. 22, 2021)
7) Guest Editorial, Marc Lipsitch and Thomas V. Inglesby, “Moratorium on Research Intended To Create Novel Potential Pandemic Pathogens,” mbio.asm.org, Nov./Dec. 2014, Vol.5 (6), available at: https://mbio.asm.org/content/mbio/5/6/e02366-14.full.pdf (Accessed Jan. 23, 2021)
8) Letter To The Editor, Lynn C. Klotz, “Danger of Potential-Pandemic-Pathogen Research Enterprises,” mbio.asm.org, May/June 2015 Vol. 6(3), available at: https://mbio.asm.org/content/mbio/6/3/e00815-15.full.pdf (Accessed Jan.22, 2021)
9) Talha Burki, ”Ban on gain-of-function studies ends,” The Lancet-Infectious Diseases, Feb. 2018, available at: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(18)30006-9/fulltext (Accessed Jan. 23, 2021)
10) Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., Director, National Institutes of Health, “NIH Lifts Pause on Gain-of-Function Research,” Dec. 19, 2017, available at: https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/who-we-are/nih-director/statements/nih-lifts-funding-pause-gain-function-research (Accessed Jan. 24, 2021)
11) Vincet D. Menachery, Boyd L. Yount Jr. ………… Zhengli-Li Shi & Ralph S. Baric,” A SARS – like cluster of circulating bat Coronaviruses shows potential for human emergence,” nature medicine,Nov. 9, 2015, available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/nm.3985 (Accessed Jan. 26, 2012)
12) Alexis Baden-Mayer, “Dr. ‘Coronavirus Hunter’ Ralph Baric: Preparing Us for a Pandemic? Or Putting Us in Peril of One,” Organic Consumers Association, Aug. 26, 2020, available at: https://www.organicconsumers.org/blog/dr-coronavirus-hunter-ralph-baric-preparing-us-pandemic-or-putting-us-peril-one (Accessed Jan. 27, 2021)
13) Opinion – Josh Rogin, “State Department cables warning of safety issues at Wuhan lab studying bat corona viruses,” The Washington Post, April 14, 2020, available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/14/state-department-cables-warned-safety-issues-wuhan-lab-studying-bat-coronaviruses/ (Accessed Jan. 27, 2021)
14) Nicholson Baker, “The Lab-Leak Hypothesis” New York Magazine, Jan. 4,2021, available at: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/coronavirus-lab-escape-theory.html (Accessed Jan. 20, 2021)
15) Alan Chan and Matt Ridley, “The World Needs a Real Investigation Into the Origins of Covid-19,” The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 15, 2021, available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-world-needs-a-real-investigation-into-the-origins-of-covid-19-11610728316 (Accessed Jan 16, 2021)
Had read about this way back in April from an article in Newsweek. It’s also stated clearly on the Department of Homeland Security website. Posted the article on Facebook and was deemed a hater, conspiracy theorist and everything else under the sun. I’m no longer on Facebook but feel strongly that it’s imperative to get the word out in order to have more people read and understand the truth behind this virus. I have zero respect for Dr. Fauci personally knowing he was part of the problem that produced the virus. Along the same lines, why in the world should we trust anything the Government tells us about the safety of the vaccine? Childrenshealthdefense.org has done plenty of research on possible dangers of this experimental vaccine, but they are being censored by all the major news outlets. It is a travesty that people are unable to form and educated opinion about whether or not to get this vaccine, especially in light of the fact that the same experts that are pushing it are part of the reason we are in this heartbreaking mess. Many thanks to Dr. Fisher for writing this in a coherent way which the public can read and understand. Stopmedicaldiscrimination.org is a site with a petition which people can sign to try to stop the censorship of vital information regarding these topics.
Yes the virus came from China. However 2chinese researchers in Canada sent material to China in 2018 . Caught ,and sent back to China.
During the Military Olympic Games in 2019 Octobrr, 1/3 of the Canadian soldiers came homef sick with a new URI/FLU.
In September 2019 The Chinese army military sent out notice to expect a new Respiratory infection and to be prepared for it.. All info sent out by folks in China.On line.
China stopped travel in China but not to rest of World January 2020. Happy New Year.!!
Now politics creeps into EVERYTHING. Government has made it worse. We use to Quarantine individuals and their families,contacts. Not whole cities or Nations. . Economy continued. Not this time.
Massive power grab. Now we are all in trouble as is our nation.
In history there have been all sorts of Real Conspiracies. This might be another or some powerful opportunists in government,business taking a shot..
Protect you and Yours.
God bless us all and the constitution of The USA.
Jesse Belville,PA-C
Excellent post. The largely unsaid point is that China is COMMUNIST. Communism is antithetical to what should be the important precepts of our profession.
Yes there should be a serious societal debate about the wisdom of such research. But right out of the gate, such work should not be done in collaboration with regime that runs concentration camps for minorities, killed tens of millions in a “cultural revolution”, and is actively trying to overcome all geopolitical rivals. Would we have operated similarly with the USSR, when they were active creating microbe strains on an island lab so deadly that it killed some offshore?? (Source: “The Dead Hand”, an excellent read).
The first lesson and rule ought to be that these are COMMUNISTS, with whom we should not be sharing our research or funding.
Without getting political, I often wondered if Trump was being too cavalier and indiscrete with intelligence briefings by constantly calling it the ‘China’ virus. Was this was an error in filter reveal rather than buffoonery.
It came from China. The description was apt. Perhaps it was proper that we all know where the damn thing originated?
Thank you for posting this.
Douglas, Thanks for taking the time to read this posting. Please help spread it around as most press will ignore it. Ken
Very interesting – and terrifying – read this morning. Thanks Dr Fisher!
Martha, Thanks for taking the time to read this posting. Please help spread it around as most press will ignore it. Ken