COVID-19 Lab Leak: People Are Not Talking Solutions. Here’s Some.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about the possibility that COVID-19 leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China.  Surprisingly, even with all this attention, few people are talking about solutions that can actually make ourselves safer from future pandemics coming out of labs.  And even worse, we’re on the verge of really mismanaging the relationship with China.  So today, I’ll talk solutions.  Instead of just talking about the past, we can start working to create the safer future we all want. 

 

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Theme music by Moby: https://mobygratis.com/

 

Resources:

Jamie Metzl has done great reporting on the lab leak possibility since early in the pandemic, long before it was widely accepted.  His site offers an exhaustive compilation of facts and resources
https://jamiemetzl.com/origins-of-sars-cov-2/

A couple of the most solid overviews of the lab leak issue I’ve seen.  These review the evidence and the public discussion so far.  Start here if you’re new to the issue:

~ Vanity Fair, 6/3/21 (Katherine Eban)
The Lab-Leak Theory: Inside the Fight to Uncover COVID-19’s Origins
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/06/the-lab-leak-theory-inside-the-fight-to-uncover-covid-19s-origins

~ NY Times, 6/25/21 (Zeynep Tufekci)
Where Did the Coronavirus Come From? What We Already Know Is Troubling.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/25/opinion/coronavirus-lab.html?referringSource=articleShare

Dr. Filippa Lentzos & Dr. Gregory Koblentz have done a great survey of BSL-4 labs around the world, and offer safety recommendations.  Their ideas deserve more public attention:

~ Kings College London, May 2021
Mapping Maximum Biological Containment Labs Globally
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6048d7a0e9652c472e619f6f/t/60ae71cea2219b008f29d4ca/1622045135314/Mapping+BSL4+Labs+Globally+EMBARGOED+until+27+May+2021+1800+CET.pdf

~ The Conversation, 6/14/21
Fifty-nine labs around world handle the deadliest pathogens – only a quarter score high on safety
https://theconversation.com/fifty-nine-labs-around-world-handle-the-deadliest-pathogens-only-a-quarter-score-high-on-safety-161777

~ Global Biolabs Project
https://www.globalbiolabs.org/

This WHO summary has an optimistic and forward-looking tone, while admitting that there is significant work to be done to ensure adequate safety of labs working with dangerous pathogens:

~ World Health Organization, 4/28/21
Enhancement of laboratory biosafety
https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA74/A74_18-en.pdf

There have been lab safety breaches in several countries for many years.  These articles summarize the risks we have faced for years:

~ USA Today, 3/22/21 (Alison Young)
Could an accident have caused COVID-19? Why the Wuhan lab-leak theory shouldn't be dismissed
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/opinion/2021/03/22/why-covid-lab-leak-theory-wuhan-shouldnt-dismissed-column/4765985001/

~ Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 6/17/21
Essential reading on lab leaks and gain-of-function research
https://thebulletin.org/2021/06/essential-reading-on-lab-leaks-and-gain-of-function-research/

~ Vox, 5/1/20 (Kelsey Piper)
Why some labs work on making viruses deadlier — and why they should stop
https://www.vox.com/2020/5/1/21243148/why-some-labs-work-on-making-viruses-deadlier-and-why-they-should-stop