Wuhan’s lower biosafety level labs posed greater risk for coronavirus lab leak, experts said

Biosafety experts, including one with longstanding ties to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), privately harbored questions about risks taken with coronavirus research at biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) labs, including those in Wuhan, according to emails obtained by U.S. Right to Know. The researchers felt that BSL-3 labs were more vulnerable to accidents, even more ... Wuhan’s lower biosafety level labs posed greater risk for coronavirus lab leak, experts said

Why we are suing the NIH for Covid-19 information

A year ago, a fearful world was struggling to emerge from a paralyzing pandemic, a confusing health care crisis that emerged swiftly to sicken and kill millions. Today, nearly two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, we are still struggling to find our way back from the catastrophic global consequences of the vicious coronavirus. And we ... Why we are suing the NIH for Covid-19 information

Public comments on the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) members

The World Health Organization has proposed 26 scientists for a new group to investigate the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as future outbreaks. WHO plans to appoint members to the new Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) after a two week review to gather public opinion on the proposed ... Public comments on the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) members

Zhengli Shi Edits to Widely-Cited EMI Commentary

A new document shows Zhengli Shi’s edits to a draft of the Emerging Microbes & Infections commentary, “No credible evidence supporting the claims of the laboratory engineering of SARS-CoV-2.” Zhengli Shi is a leading Chinese virologist at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Shi proposed three edits of note. First, she proposed changing the presentation of ... Zhengli Shi Edits to Widely-Cited EMI Commentary

How NIH-funded research in China could have led to the COVID-19 pandemic

A multimillion-dollar bat coronavirus research grant, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was made public last week, revealing that researchers based in Wuhan, China had manipulated coronaviruses in ways that led to increased severity of infection, employing platforms that tested the ability of bat coronaviruses to use human receptors. The grant documents underscore ... How NIH-funded research in China could have led to the COVID-19 pandemic

Scientists who authored article denying lab engineering of SARS-CoV-2 privately acknowledged possible lab origin, emails show

Four prominent U.S. virologists who published a widely cited commentary strongly rebutting the theory that SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, might have been engineered in a lab privately acknowledged that they could not “rule out the possibility” of a lab leak, according to emails obtained by U.S. Right to Know. The emails discuss ... Scientists who authored article denying lab engineering of SARS-CoV-2 privately acknowledged possible lab origin, emails show

Wuhan lab director ordered staff not to discuss Covid-19, State Department cable says, citing blogger

The director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) ordered staff in January 2020 to “not discuss COVID-19,” according to a Guangzhou-based blogger’s social media post that is cited in a February 2020 U.S. State Department cable obtained by U.S. Right to Know. The WIV is at the center of debate surrounding the origins of ... Wuhan lab director ordered staff not to discuss Covid-19, State Department cable says, citing blogger

Three State Department cables

On May 24, 2021, the U.S. State Department released more records in response to our FOIA lawsuit. These may be of interest: “PRC claims of COVID transmission via cold chain food imports growing”: A November 18, 2020 State Department cable expressed skepticism of Chinese state media claims that SARS-CoV-2 was transmitted via imported cold chain ... Three State Department cables

Chinese-linked journal editor sought help to rebut Covid-19 lab origin hypothesis

The editor-in-chief of a scientific journal with ties to China commissioned a commentary to refute the hypothesis that the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 came from a lab, according to emails obtained by U.S. Right to Know. The commentary reinforced a scientific narrative of certainty about natural origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, just a ... Chinese-linked journal editor sought help to rebut Covid-19 lab origin hypothesis

Why we are researching the origins of Covid-19, gain-of-function research and biolabs

See our  reporting on the origins of Covid-19  for updates on our investigation, and we are posting documents from our investigation here. Sign up here to receive weekly updates.  In July 2020, U.S. Right to Know began submitting public records requests in pursuit of data from public institutions in an effort to discover what is ... Why we are researching the origins of Covid-19, gain-of-function research and biolabs

Scientists discussed masking their involvement in key journal letter on Covid origins, emails show

EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak, the head of an organization involved in research that genetically manipulates coronaviruses, discussed hiding his role in a statement published last year in The Lancet that condemned as “conspiracy theories” concerns that the COVID-19 virus may have originated in a research lab, emails obtained by US Right to Know show. ... Scientists discussed masking their involvement in key journal letter on Covid origins, emails show

Colorado State University documents on bat pathogen research

This post describes documents of Colorado State University (CSU) Professors Rebekah Kading and Tony Schountz, which U.S. Right to Know obtained from a public records request. Kading and Schountz are virologists who study bat-associated pathogens in hot-spots across the world. They collaborate with EcoHealth Alliance, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the Defense Advanced ... Colorado State University documents on bat pathogen research

How safe are the biolabs at Colorado State?

A draft funding proposal for the construction of a new biolab at Colorado State University raises questions about safety and security at its existing biolabs in Fort Collins, Colorado. The draft proposal seeks funding from the National Institutes of Health to replace “aging” infrastructure within CSU’s Center for Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, formerly known as the ... How safe are the biolabs at Colorado State?

New emails show scientists’ deliberations on how to discuss SARS-CoV-2 origins 

Newly obtained emails offer glimpses into how a narrative of certainty developed about the natural origins of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, while key scientific questions remained. The internal discussions and an early draft of a scientists’ letter show experts discussing gaps in knowledge and unanswered questions about lab origin, even as some sought to tamp ... New emails show scientists’ deliberations on how to discuss SARS-CoV-2 origins 

Items from coronavirus expert Ralph Baric‘s emails 

This page lists documents in Professor Ralph Baric’s emails, which U.S. Right to Know obtained via a public records request. Dr. Baric is a coronavirus expert at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC). He has developed genetic techniques to enhance the pandemic potential of existing bat coronaviruses in collaboration with Dr. Zhengli Shi ... Items from coronavirus expert Ralph Baric‘s emails 

U.S. Right to Know Sues State Department for Documents about Origins of SARS-CoV-2

News Release For Immediate Release: Monday, November 30, 2020 For More Information Contact: Gary Ruskin (415) 944-7350 or  Sainath Suryanarayanan U.S. Right to Know, a nonprofit investigative public health group, filed a lawsuit today against the U.S. Department of State for violating provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This is the second FOIA ... U.S. Right to Know Sues State Department for Documents about Origins of SARS-CoV-2

Scientist with conflict of interest leading Lancet COVID-19 Commission task force on virus origins

Last week, U.S. Right to Know reported that an influential statement in The Lancet signed by 27 prominent public health scientists about the origins of SARS-CoV-2 was organized by employees of EcoHealth Alliance, a non-profit group that has received millions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer funding to genetically manipulate coronaviruses with scientists at the Wuhan ... Scientist with conflict of interest leading Lancet COVID-19 Commission task force on virus origins

Validity of key studies on origin of coronavirus in doubt; science journals investigating

By Carey Gillam Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, scientists have searched for clues about what led to the emergence of its causative agent, the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Uncovering the source of SARS-CoV-2 could be crucial for preventing future outbreaks. A series of four high profile studies ... Validity of key studies on origin of coronavirus in doubt; science journals investigating

U.S. Right to Know Sues NIH for Documents about Origins of SARS-CoV-2

News Release For Immediate Release: Thursday, November 5, 2020 For More Information Contact: Gary Ruskin (415) 944-7350 or Sainath Suryanarayanan U.S. Right to Know, an investigative public health nonprofit group, filed a lawsuit today against the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for violating provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. ... U.S. Right to Know Sues NIH for Documents about Origins of SARS-CoV-2

NIH gain-of-function regulations are vague and secretive, advisers say

NIH's biosecurity advisers and the Government Accountability Office both recommended better regulation of lab-generated pandemic viruses.