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发帖数: 1445 | 2 https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/552857-rand-paul-clashes-with-fauci-
over-coronavirus-origins
Fauci noted that although the NIH did fund a project at the Wuhan lab, it
was not meant for "gain of function" research into human-made superviruses.
The NIH gave a grant to a group called EcoHealth Alliance, which hired the
virology lab in Wuhan to conduct genetic analyses of bat coronaviruses and
examine how they spread to humans. The Trump administration last year forced
the NIH to terminate the grant.
The false link between Fauci, the NIH and the Wuhan lab has been circulating
among right-wing media and politicians like Paul and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-
Wis.) for months.
"Let me explain to you why that was done, the SARS COV-1 originated in bats
in China. It would have been irresponsible of us if we did not investigate
the bat viruses and the serology to see who might have been infected," Fauci
said.
Gain of function research is a controversial form of study that involves
boosting the infectivity and lethality of a pathogen. Fauci has advocated
for the research in the past, but he denied that the NIH was funding it in
China.
But Paul interrupted him, and hinted that not only was the virus introduced
to the world because of a lab accident, it was also biologically engineered.
"Government scientists like yourself who favor gain function … ” Paul said.
“I don’t favor gain of function research in China and you are saying
things that are not correct,” Fauci interrupted.
Anthony Fauci on Tuesday clashed with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) over the role
of the Wuhan, China, virology lab in the origins of COVID-19.
During a Senate hearing on the pandemic response, Paul alleged that the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) had been sending funding to the Wuhan
lab, which then "juiced up" a virus that was originally found in bats to
create a supervirus that can infect human cells.
Paul pressed Fauci on the theory that the novel coronavirus was created in
the Wuhan lab, and then somehow escaped, either because of an accident or
because it was deliberately released.
"Sen. Paul, with all due respect, you are entirely, entirely and completely
incorrect," Fauci said. "The NIH has not ever, and does not now, fund 'gain
of function research' in the Wuhan Institute."
Paul continued to argue with Fauci, who is the director of the NIH's
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), accusing him
of cooperating with the Chinese government, and supporting the laboratory
that bioengineered a deadly virus.
Fauci noted that although the NIH did fund a project at the Wuhan lab, it
was not meant for "gain of function" research into human-made superviruses.
The NIH gave a grant to a group called EcoHealth Alliance, which hired the
virology lab in Wuhan to conduct genetic analyses of bat coronaviruses and
examine how they spread to humans. The Trump administration last year forced
the NIH to terminate the grant.
The false link between Fauci, the NIH and the Wuhan lab has been circulating
among right-wing media and politicians like Paul and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-
Wis.) for months.
"Let me explain to you why that was done, the SARS COV-1 originated in bats
in China. It would have been irresponsible of us if we did not investigate
the bat viruses and the serology to see who might have been infected," Fauci
said.
Gain of function research is a controversial form of study that involves
boosting the infectivity and lethality of a pathogen. Fauci has advocated
for the research in the past, but he denied that the NIH was funding it in
China.
But Paul interrupted him, and hinted that not only was the virus introduced
to the world because of a lab accident, it was also biologically engineered.
"Government scientists like yourself who favor gain function … ” Paul said.
“I don’t favor gain of function research in China and you are saying
things that are not correct,” Fauci interrupted.
The White House said it believes that China has "not been transparent" in
releasing its findings on the origins of COVID-19, and the World Health
Organization was severely limited in its investigation.
Fauci said he supports further investigation into the origin of the virus,
but denied the NIH had any role in funding controversial research.
"I do not have any accounting of what the Chinese may have done, and I'm
fully in favor of any further investigation of what went on in China," Fauci
said."However, I will repeat again, the NIH and NIAID categorically has not
funded gain of function research to be conducted in the Wuhan Institute." |
