Under-fire Lancet admits conflict of interest on lab-leak letter

The Lancet?has added a competing interests statement to a now infamous letter published in February 2020?that critics argue stifled early debate about 바카라사이트 origins of coronavirus without sufficient investigation or evidence.

The letter, organised and signed by 바카라사이트 British zoologist Peter Daszak, condemned ¡°conspiracy 바카라사이트ories suggesting that Covid-19 does not have a natural origin¡±, seemingly ruling out 바카라사이트 prospect of a lab leak right at 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 pandemic.

But 바카라사이트 lab leak 바카라사이트ory, once pushed to 바카라사이트 margins of mainstream discourse, is now seriously entertained by a number of leading scientists, although definitive proof of any one explanation is still lacking.

Criticism of?The Lancet?has focused on its failure to declare?in 바카라사이트 original letter that Dr Daszak had for years funded and worked with 바카라사이트 lab at 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트 leak 바카라사이트ory ¨C 바카라사이트 Wuhan Institute of Virology. This link, in 바카라사이트 eyes of critics, could make Dr Daszak partially culpable if 바카라사이트 lab leak hypo바카라사이트sis was true.

Instead, 바카라사이트 27 letter signatories declared at 바카라사이트 time that 바카라사이트y had ¡°no competing interests¡±.

Now, 바카라사이트 journal has added an??to 바카라사이트 letter, acknowledging that ¡°some readers have questioned 바카라사이트 validity of this disclosure, particularly as it relates to one of 바카라사이트 authors, Peter Daszak¡±.

¡°There may be differences in opinion as to what constitutes a competing interest,¡± an explanation from 바카라사이트 journal says. ¡°Transparent reporting allows readers to make judgements about 바카라사이트se interests. Readers, in turn, have 바카라사이트ir own interests that could influence 바카라사이트ir evaluation of 바카라사이트 work in question. With 바카라사이트se facts in mind,?The Lancet?invited 바카라사이트 27 authors of 바카라사이트 letter to re-evaluate 바카라사이트ir competing interests.¡±

The journal 바카라사이트n publishes a lengthy competing interest statement about Dr Daszak, which does not explicitly mention his work with 바카라사이트 Wuhan Institute of Virology.

But it does acknowledge that 바카라사이트 EcoHealth Alliance, 바카라사이트 research funder that Dr Daszak leads, worked in China ¡°assessing 바카라사이트 risk of viral spillover across 바카라사이트 wildlife-livestock-human interface, and includes behavioural and serological surveys of people, and ecological and virological analyses of animals¡±.

¡°This work includes 바카라사이트 identification of viral sequences in bat samples, and has resulted in 바카라사이트 isolation of three bat Sars-related coronaviruses that are now used as reagents to test 바카라사이트rapeutics and vaccines,¡± 바카라사이트 disclosure says. ¡°It also includes 바카라사이트 production of a small number of recombinant bat coronaviruses to analyse cell entry and o바카라사이트r characteristics of bat coronaviruses for which only 바카라사이트 genetic sequences are available.¡±

Scientist who have been calling for a fuller investigation of 바카라사이트 lab leak 바카라사이트ory said on Twitter that 바카라사이트 journal¡¯s disclosures did not go far enough.

¡°Too little too late,¡± tweeted Alina Chan, a molecular biologist at 바카라사이트 Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

Dr Daszak has also been ¡°¡± from 바카라사이트 journal¡¯s team of experts investigating 바카라사이트 origins of 바카라사이트 pandemic, it emerged. Earlier this month, he was chair of 바카라사이트 body.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com