Emily Kopp
Emily Kopp

@emilyakopp

8 Tweets 3 reads Dec 07, 2022
I'm watching the first official House hearing on COVID's origins (!)
Among the experts testifying is Stanford's David Relman, who I hear works with the U.S. intelligence community.
youtube.com
You might recognize Relman from a 2014 forum where he asked Ralph Baric, a gain of function researcher on coronaviruses, about whether he makes viruses more virulent & transmissible.
I'm not a body language expert but Baric seemed uncomfortable.
We're also hearing from University of Iowa's Stanley Perlman. Perlman recently cosigned a second letter shooting down lab leak theory in The Lancet organized by EcoHealth President Peter Daszak. thelancet.com
Relman on The Lancet letter organized by Daszak:
โ€œI share with you your concern about statements that donโ€™t properly reflect what we know and donโ€™t know. โ€ฆ People should make clear when they express a point of view whether itโ€™s an opinionโ€ฆ It did have a chilling effect."
Relman: Some research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology "I view as particularly risky."
Specifically refers to a chimeric virus with properties that Baric described as "poised" to evolve to infect humans.
โ€œIf there is further evidence that perhaps accidents occurred in the conduct of science, we will be forced to have further discussion โ€” beyond what weโ€™ve already had in this country [like the 2014 forum ^^] โ€” about where there is risk that perhaps deserves special attention.โ€
Perlman acknowledges that saying China had been "transparent" with information about COVID in The Lancet was premature
"If I was smart I would have thought about those nuances back then."
thelancet.com
It appears Perlman no longer supports The Lancet letter's premise that the lab leak hypothesis is a conspiracy theory. That makes 7 signatories that have changed their view: abcnews.go.com

Loading suggestions...