Sunday, June 13, 2021

0 per cent’ chance: former French official who oversaw safety standards at Wuhan lab dismisses leak theory

 Biosecurity expert Gabriel Gras supervised the construction and accreditation of the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s BSL-4 laboratory in 2017

He says he has ‘no doubt’ about the safety of the facility, despite growing scrutiny over the possible role of a lab accident in the origins of Covid-19


A former French government official who oversaw safety standards at the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s maximum security laboratory ahead of its opening has dismissed the theory that Covid-19 escaped from the institute, as a growing clamour of voices lends credence to the previously fringe hypothesis.

In his first interview with English-language media, Gabriel Gras, a virology researcher and biosecurity expert who was employed as a technical expert at the French embassy in China, said he did not believe SARS-CoV-2 originated or escaped from the WIV.

Gras said he had “no doubt” about the safety of the institute’s biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory, the first of that security specification to be built in China, after supervising its construction and accreditation by way of a collaboration between the French government and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

SCMP


0 per cent’ chance: former French official who oversaw safety standards at Wuhan lab dismisses leak theory



23 comments:

Marian Ruccius said...


Couple shared information, virus samples from high-security lab with Chinese institute

"China has a very active, very aggressive and extremely dangerous bioweapons program," said Leuprecht. "So all the research that's being generated here could easily be reappropriated by the Chinese authorities to advance rather nefarious causes."

With China's track record of intellectual property espionage, another expert says it's concerning that Chinese research institutions were helping to fund some of the work done in collaboration with NML scientists.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-lab-security-experts-1.6059097

Unknown said...

So only the Chinese were stupid enough to let Covid escape their Wuhan Lab? Sounds like racism to me. May as well argue Caucasians were conducting a biological weapon test in the Wuhan area.

S400 said...

Marian is a known China basher and as such peddles huge amounts of unverified claims. This one of them again. There are not much at all that back the lab leak hypothesis. Much is old stuff that are reused and sold as “new” information.

S400 said...

Marian is a known China basher and as such peddles huge amounts of unverified claims. This one of them again. There are not much at all that back the lab leak hypothesis. Much is old stuff that are reused and sold as “new” information.

Peter Pan said...

Evidence not required to play politics with it.

In other news, Fauci is a liar.

Marian Ruccius said...

I am no China basher, and it is important to point out that the Chinese state is tyrannical and untrustworthy, and that it received insecure virus transfers from around the world

Matt Franko said...

Well NIAID was tasking them to do it so even if they did it they can just say “well yeah you paid us to do it” then what?

Who do you sue? China? US? Both?

Marian Ruccius said...

Matt: it sure as hell is the case that, at least, Brits and Yanks and Canucks were all involved in this, as you say. And saying that something terrible seems to have happened at the Wuhan lab is not to attack China, so much as the entire international network of infectious diseases labs. But China did not help much with the tenor of its research and its constant face-saving silence and miscommunication, IMO.

Peter Pan said...

No one will be held accountable, but political points will be scored. You don't win US elections by being accountable.

Peter Pan said...

Latest Fauci: "Some attacks on me are attacks on science."

Priceless.

Matt Franko said...

He doesn’t even have a Science degree… BA in Classics from Holy Cross…. no surprise he operates in paradox all the time…. “Masks help! Masks don’t help!” … this is textbook Socrates 101….

Matt Franko said...

“Hey! We need some money for social services!” “Uh, sorry we’re out of money!”


“Hey! We need some money for national defense! Hey no problemo here’s $750b!”


Same thing…. Textbook moron Socrates 101…

lastgreek said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
lastgreek said...

"He doesn’t even have a Science degree… BA in Classics from Holy Cross…"

Yes, with a PRE-MED track! The "Dr." in front of his name is not honourary.

Back in the day, it was common for students entering university, including and especially the science students, to have an all-around education. It was considered the damn norm, and the classics were a given. Sadly, today, the classics are being dropped. The result? All these dummies now thinking their smart driving Teslas!

lastgreek said...

"they're," not "their" :)

Matt Franko said...

"Sadly, today, the classics are being dropped. "

Has been going on since 1860 when the Science degree was first established...

100 years later standing on the moon... its not a thing to be sad about... if you value advancement in mankind's material condition...

Matt Franko said...

Sorry, not sorry... :p

Peter Pan said...

The Classics:

Propaganda 101
Narrative Control
Spin Control
Media Manipulation
Creative Accounting

Fauci is experienced in all the above.

lastgreek said...

PP, you vaccinated?

S400 said...

It’s important to point out that Marian is a China basher and as such come up with huge amount of unverified claims with dubious sources. This thread is no exception.

Peter Pan said...

I ain't vaccinated for Covid and ain't getting the jab unless they make that shit compulsory.

Marian Ruccius said...

The claims are verified, based on the article I posted, which was good journalistic work. S400 opposes even the slightest criticism of China (the very stance of a fabulist/propagandist), whereas I am equally critical of China, the US, Britain and my own country -- because I attempt to appply the same standard of judgment to each, and so on that basis I am not a "basher" of anyone, merely somewhat who believes in equality of treatment.

Let us take a recent example -- multiple highly-respected special rapporteurs and heads of agencies in the UN have come out denouncing the systemic harvesting of organs from marginalized groups, such as the Uighurs or Falung Gong. Among these rapporteurs is Nils Meltzer, Special Rapporteur on Torture..., he who has provided such a fact-based and damning analysis of the arbitrary mistreatment of Julian Assange by the US, British, and Swedish Governments. I think just as we have to believe him on Assange, we have to believe him on the brutality of the Chinese Government (the organ-harvesting was an issue in China even 20 years, and has continued since).

Here are the signatories, to what is the most damning statement by a UN body in history:

"*The experts: Ms. Siobhán Mullally, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; Ms. Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health;Mr. Fernand de Varennes, Special Rapporteur on minority issues; Mr. Ahmed Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; Mr. Nils Melzer, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; Ms. Dubravka Simonovic, Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences;Ms. Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while counter-terrorism; Ms. Elina Steinerte (Chair-Rapporteur), Dr. Miriam Estrada-Castillo (Vice-chairperson), Ms. Leigh Toomey, Mr. Mumba Malila, Mr. Priya Gopalan, Working Group on arbitrary detention.

Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity."

So one can see that, at best, S400's comments on me are merely projection.
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=27167&LangID=E

Calgacus said...

I'm sticking with the - Wuhan researchers ate their yummy lab animals theory. Or sold them at the nearby wet market theory. At least these theories were definitely made in Wuhan.