Category: Corona Virus

BEIJING (AP) The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China said he was allowed back into his lab after he spent days locked outside, sitting in protest.

Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post early Wednesday that authorities had tentatively agreed to allow him and his team to return to his laboratory and continue their research for the time being.

Zhang had been staging a sit-in protest outside his lab since the weekend after he and his team were suddenly notified they had to leave their lab, a sign of Beijings continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the coronavirus.

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Chinese scientist who published COVID-19 virus sequence allowed back in his lab after sit-in protest - Daily Independent

Zhang had been staging a sit-in protest outside his lab since the weekend after he and his team were suddenly notified they had to... Read More Zhang had been staging a sit-in protest outside his lab since the weekend after he and his team were suddenly notified they had to leave their lab, a sign of Beijing's continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the coronavirus. The Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center previously said Zhang's lab was being renovated and was closed for safety reasons. But Zhang said his team wasn't offered an alternative until after the eviction and the new lab didn't meet safety standards for conducting their research. Read Less BEIJING: The first scientist to publish a sequence of the Covid-19 virus in China said he was allowed back into his lab after he spent days locked outside, sitting in protest. Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post early on Wednesday that authorities had "tentatively agreed" to allow him and his team to return to his laboratory and continue their research for the time being. Zhang had been staging a sit-in protest outside his lab since the weekend after he and his team were suddenly notified they had to leave their lab, a sign of Beijing's continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the coronavirus. The Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center previously said Zhang's lab was being renovated and was closed for safety reasons. But Zhang said his team wasn't offered an alternative until after the eviction and the new lab didn't meet safety standards for conducting their research. Zhang's latest difficulty reflects how China has sought to control information related to the virus: An Associated Press investigation found that the government froze meaningful domestic and international efforts to trace it from the first weeks of the outbreak. That pattern continues to this day, with labs closed, collaborations shattered, foreign scientists forced out and Chinese researchers barred from leaving the country.

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Chinese scientist who published Covid-19 virus sequence allowed back in his lab after sit-in protest - The Times of India

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Peter Daszak testifying: The man behind EcoHealth Alliance and the COVID-19 origins controversy - Washington Examiner

Zhang Yongzhen, the Chinese virologist who first published the Covid-19 virus sequence, was allowed back into his laboratory after a prolonged sit-in protest that highlighted the ongoing suppression of scientific research in China. Zhang's determined protest came as a response to his sudden and unexplained eviction from the lab, which had been a critical site for coronavirus research. The ordeal began over the weekend when Zhang and his team were unexpectedly barred from entering their lab at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center. In an act of resistance, Zhang stationed himself outside the lab, enduring several nights exposed to the elements, including periods of drizzling rain. He and his team displayed banners with messages like Resume normal scientific research work, which quickly captured the public's attention and spurred widespread discussion on social media. The images and stories of Zhangs protest resonated across various platforms, eventually putting pressure on the local authorities to address the situation. By early Wednesday, Zhang announced through a post on Weibo that a "tentative agreement" had been reached with the medical center. This agreement temporarily reinstated his team's access to their lab and initiated negotiations to potentially relocate the lab without disrupting their critical research activities. The Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center had previously justified the lab's closure by citing urgent renovations needed for "safety reasons" and claimed that alternative laboratory space was provided. However, Zhang countered these claims in his statements online, arguing that the alternatives were unsuitable and that the eviction notice was abruptly given without proper justification, reflecting a lack of support and transparency from the institution. This incident is part of a broader pattern of challenges Zhang has faced since he chose to publish the genomic sequence of the virus on January 11, 2020, without waiting for government approval. His actions, though crucial for global Covid-19 research, led to a series of professional setbacks, including being barred from conducting further virus isolation and being removed from a prestigious post at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite international recognition and several awards for his groundbreaking work, Zhang's career in China has been marred by governmental interference and restrictions, underscoring the tight control over scientific inquiry, especially regarding sensitive topics like Covid-19. Zhangs struggle and subsequent protest not only illustrate the personal cost of scientific integrity but also reflect the ongoing conflict between scientific advancement and political control in China. (With inputs from agencies)

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China: Covid-19 whistleblower scientist regains lab Access after public protest - The Times of India

The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China will be allowed back into his lab after days locked outside, sitting in protest.

Virologist Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post early Wednesday that authorities had "tentatively agreed" to allow him and his team to return to his laboratory and continue their research for the time being.

Zhang had been staging a sit-in protest outside his lab since the weekend after he and his team were suddenly notified they had to leave their lab, a sign of Beijing's continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the coronavirus.

The Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center previously said Zhang's lab was being renovated and was closed for safety reasons.

But Zhang said his team wasn't offered an alternative until after the eviction and the new lab didn't meet safety standards for conducting their research.

In January, 2020, Zhang became the first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus.

When he tried to enter his lab over the weekend, guards barred him.

In protest, he sat outside on flattened cardboard in drizzling rain, pictures from the scene posted online showed.

"I won't leave, I won't quit, I am pursuing science and the truth!" he wrote in a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo that was later deleted.

With AP

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Protesting COVID-19 virologist to return to lab - Yahoo News Australia

By Jon Michael Raasch, Political Reporter On Capitol Hill, For Dailymail.Com 13:05 01 May 2024, updated 14:20 01 May 2024

Republicans are demanding a criminal investigation into a key figure in the COVID origins scandal for his links to gain of function research in Wuhan and repeated rejections that the virus came from lab.

EcoHealth Alliance President Dr. Peter Daszak - who received federal funding forcoronavirus research in Wuhan, China, before the COVID-19 pandemic - will be pressed Wednesday by Republicans.

Daszak is thought to have critical knowledge about the Wuhan Institute of Virology's (WIV) extensive coronavirus efforts before the outbreak of COVID-19 - and the GOPwants answers.

On Wednesday, ahead of a Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic hearing with Daszak, the body released a report calling for a criminal investigation into the scientist and EcoHealth for violating his government grant agreements and legal reporting requirements.

'Peter Daszak is the closest this committee will ever get to questioning a Chinese spy,' Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, who sits on the committee, exclusively told DailyMail.com in a statement.

'His direct role in providing funding for the Wuhan Lab and his lies and personal involvement in the COVID cover up that followed were directly responsible for the public health and economic disaster that followed.'

'As the saying goes, 'follow the money' and the money was flowing directly from Dr. Fauci and the NIH to Daszak's EcoHealth Alliance and his gain-of-function research,' Jackson continued. 'This IS where COVID originated and this IS who funded it!'

Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., told DailyMail.com exclusively ahead of Wednesday's hearing, 'I want to confront him on the way that he got refunded for his research.'

He claimed that Daszak's gain of function research was fully refunded by the U.S.

In addition, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., previewed to DailyMail.com that she is looking forward to Daszak's answers on why EcoHealth was awarded U.S. government funding in the first place.

'Why are we the American taxpayers giving money to EcoHealth,' she said. 'If you're subletting some of these grants to different organizations, you should know what they're doing with the money.'

Last month, Daszak was accused of helping a top aide of Dr. Anthony Fauci - David Morens - subvert federal transparency laws by communicating on nongovernmental accounts, saying 'we'll communicate with you via Gmail from now on.'

The EcoHealth founder then mentioned having '15,000 samples in freezers in Wuhan,' that could help them 'do the full genomes of 700+ [coronaviruses].'

On Wednesday, Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, will grill Daszak on his correspondence with Morens, Fauci and the WIV regarding COVID-19 origins.

Wenstrup sent a subpoena to Morens demanding he turn over documents from his personal email account about COVID-19, coronavirus grant funding and his communications with Fauci and former NIH Director Francis Collins, among other top health officials.

He was expected to receive those materials from the former Fauci aide Tuesday ahead of the Daszak's hearing the following day.

The Ohio Republican previously said a whistleblower provided him the materials indicating Morens' use of his personal email.

Another email shows Morens appearing to disclose Fauci's attempts to provide 'damage control' for EcoHealth.

'Tony is now fully aware I think and is I am told involved in some sort of damage control,' Morens told Daszak.

Republicans previously revealed that EcoHealth and the WIV, in partnership with NIAID, submitted a proposal to federal officials seeking funding to create a novel coronavirus in 2018.

And Wenstrup has accused EcoHealth of using taxpayer dollars 'to fund dangerous gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.'

'These emails raise serious concerns about federal health officials potentially covering up the pandemics origin,' Wenstrup stated previously.

The subject line of one of the messages between Morens' personal email and EcoHealth'sDaszak includes a reference to a National Institute of Health (NIH) grant proposal thatprovided $661,980 for a 2019 project titled 'Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence.'

Another subject line from his personal email reads 'COVID-19 update (312): China, SARS-CoV2 origin, animal reservoir, WHO mission,' indicating the two were discussing the origins of the disease.

A third email from Morens had a subject line that referenced 'our suspended R01,' possibly indicating that funding for the bat coronavirus research project was stopped at some point.

However, during his transcribed interview with the Select Subcommittee in January, Morens 'denied deleting any federal COVID-19 origins records,' according to the lawmaker.

Morens also admitted previously to the committee in a closed interview that 'I will delete anything I dont want to see in the New York Times.'

'I always try to communicate over gmail because my NIH email is FOIAd constantly,' Morens told the committee at the time.

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Republicans demand criminal investigation into key figure in the COVID origins scandal for his links to gain o - Daily Mail

The District Court in The Hague ruled that implementing the coronavirus access passes during the pandemic was drastic but not a violation of fundamental rights. This was written as part of the courts verdict in a case brought by opponents to the entry pass system. The plaintiffs were not awarded compensation.

The coronavirus access pass (CTB) was mandatory in many places from September 2021 until it was halted at the end of February 2022. People were only allowed entry into cafes, bars, or events if they were vaccinated against the coronavirus, had a recent negative test, or could prove that they had built up immunity due to recovering from the virus.

The court acknowledged that the CTB was an interference to people's ability to exercise their fundamental rights, but also said the government had a good reason for it. The court described the situation at the time as risky and unpredictable, meaning that the State made a reasonable decision to implement the CTB.

The court pointed to the healthcare sector being overrun during the pandemic and the widely supported scientific and medical view that caution was required. Therefore, the court found it understandable that the State opted to implement the CTB as a way to avoid the risk of creating a worse situation in terms of infections and hospitalizations. Many other countries did the same in an attempt to limit the coronavirus pandemic within their own borders..

An argument was made by the plaintiffs that the access pass was used to pressure people into getting vaccinated. The governments lawyers emphasized that the Cabinet had to weigh all interests and saw this as a necessary and proportional measure. They claimed the goal was to protect vulnerable people and ease the burden on the care sector.

The State had to weigh the fundamental rights of all citizens, the court explained. For one, the CTB was an obstacle, but for the other, it was a protective measure.

That decision was made with the right motives by the State, the court said. The judges ruled that the government stayed within the European Convention on Human Rights boundaries.

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Court rules that the coronavirus access pass did not violate fundamental rights - NL Times

Chinese scientist Zhang Yongzhen was the first to release the genome of coronavirus. (Photo: AP)

Chinese scientist Zhang Yongzhen, who was the first to publish the genome of the coronavirus causing Covid-19, is holding a protest after being evicted from his lab in Shanghai.

Zhang is staging a sit-in protest after being locked out of his lab. While the authorities have said they have offered an alternative space to Zhang, he has said the new facility does not have safety features needed to carry out his research. He has also said that the new labs offer was not made until he started his protest.

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Zhang has been repeatedly harassed by Chinas authorities since he released the genome of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19 disease, in January 2020 despite a gag order from the Chinese regime.

Since the first outbreak of Covid-19 in Chinas Wuhan city, the Chinese regime has been accused of withholding information from the world that could have allowed the world to respond to the pandemic must faster and better.

I wont quit, wont leave: Yongzhen stages sit-in protest against eviction

Even though the Chinese authorities have offered him alternative space, Zhang is sleeping outside of his locked lab and has refused to leave, according to Associated Press.

The report said that guards stopped Zhang from entering his lab over the weekend. Photographs from the site seen by the news agency show Zhang sitting outside the lab on flattened cardboard in rain.

I wont leave. I wont quit. I am pursuing science and the truth! The Public Health Center are refusing to let me and my students go inside the laboratory office to take shelter, said Zhang in a now-deleted post on Chinese social media platform Weibo, as per AP.

On its part, the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center said that Zhangs lab was being renovated and was locked for safety reasons, as per the report.

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The report said the ban on Zhang was the latest in a series of setbacks, demotions and ousters since he published the genome in 2020. The genome refers to the genetic structure of the organism coronavirus in this case. The genome is critical for the development of a vaccine.

Why Zhang Yongzhen angered Chinese regime, how China hid Covid-19 facts

In January 2020, Zhang Yongzhen and his team were the first to map the complete genome of SARS-CoV-2.

On January 3, 2020, they received the sample of the virus.

On January 5, they completed the mapping of the genome and sent it to Chinese authorities. Zhang also posted it on the National Center for Biotechnology Informations (NCBI) GenBank database but under embargo till July 12 apparently in response to Chinese regimes indications that it did not want the world to learn about the viral outbreak.

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Two days earlier, on January 3, Chinas National Health Commission had ordered Chinese institutions to not publish anything related to the outbreak in Wuhan.

Then, Zhang travelled to Wuhan and met Chinese officials, according to Time. He said in an interview with the magazine that he shared with officials his conclusion from studying the genome that the virus was spreading via respiratory tracts.

I had two judgements: first that it was a SARS-like virus; second, that the virus transmits by the respiratory tract. And so, I had two suggestions: that we should take some emergency public measures to protect against this disease; also, clinics should develop antiviral treatments, said Zhang.

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Meanwhile, Zhang had also shared the viral genome with Edward Holmes of Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity at University of Sydney. He called Zhang on January 11 and prodded him for permission to release the genome.

On January 11, Zhang gave Holmes the go-ahead to release the genome and thats how the world learnt about the genome six days after it was actually mapped and that too from an unofficial source as the Chinese authorities had issued a gag order and Zhang could not release it himself.

Even though the genome was released, Zhangs findings about the virus spreading through respiratory tract were not released. It was not until January 20 that China confirmed human-to-human transmission. It took two more weeks to formally confirm that the virus was airborne in nature. Throughout this time, the virus kept on circulating as the world was not aware of its airborne nature and precautions were not widespread.

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Later, it was also revealed that even though Chinese scientists did not map the genome till January 5 and it was released until January 11, that too without permission by a third-party, the genome had been somehow shared with vaccine manufacturers to develop diagnostics on January 3 and vaccine-maker Sinopharm had started to develop a vaccine on January 4 itself, according to VIRAL: The Search for Covid Origin, an investigative book by scientist Alina Chan and science writer Matt Ridley.

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'I won't quit, won't leave': Chinese scientist who released coronavirus genome defiant after being evicted from his lab - Firstpost

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COVID Tracker | Cases increase; Bridge discontinuing tracker - Bridge Michigan

The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China said he was allowed back into his lab after hespent days locked outside, sitting in protest.

Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post on Wednesday, just past midnight, that the medical center that hosts his lab had tentatively agreed to allow him and his team to return and continue their research for the time being.

Now, team members can enter and leave the laboratory freely, Zhang wrote in a post on Weibo, a Chinese social media platform. He added that he is negotiating a plan to relocate the lab in a way that doesnt disrupt his teams work with the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, which hosts Zhangs lab.

Zhang and his team were suddenly told they had to leave their lab for renovations on Thursday, setting off the dispute, he said in an earlier post that was later deleted. On Sunday, Zhang began a sit-in protest outside his lab after he found he was locked out, a sign of continuingpressure on Chinese scientistsconducting research on the coronavirus.

Zhang sat outside on flattened cardboard in drizzling rain, and members of his team unfurled a banner that read Resume normal scientific research work," pictures posted online show. News of the protest spread widely on Chinese social media, putting pressure on local authorities.

In an online statement Monday, the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center said that Zhangs lab was closed for safety reasons while being renovated. It added that it had provided Zhangs team an alternative laboratory space.

But Zhang responded the same day his team wasnt offered an alternative until after they were notified of their eviction, and the lab offered didnt meet safety standards for conducting their research, leaving his team in limbo.

Zhangs dispute with his host institution was the latest in a series of setbacks, demotions and ousters since the virologist published the sequence in January 2020 without state approval.

Beijing has sought tocontrol information related to the virussince it first emerged. An Associated Press investigation found that thegovernment froze domestic and international efforts to trace itfrom the first weeks of the outbreak. These days, labs are closed, collaborations shattered, foreign scientists forced out and some Chinese researchers barred from leaving the country.

Zhangs ordeal started when he and his team decoded the virus on Jan. 5, 2020, and wrote an internal notice warning Chinese authorities of its potential to spread but did not make the sequence public. The next day, Zhangs lab was ordered to close temporarily by Chinas top health official, and Zhang came under pressure from the authorities.

Foreign scientists soon learned that Zhang and other Chinese scientists had deciphered the virus and called on China to release the sequence. Zhang published it on Jan. 11, 2020, despite a lack of permission from Chinese health officials.

Sequencing a virus is key to the development of test kits, disease control measures and vaccinations. The virus eventually spread to every corner of the world, triggering a pandemic that disrupted lives and commerce, prompted widespread lockdowns andkilled millions of people.

Zhang was awarded prizes overseas in recognition for his work. But health officials removed him from a post at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and barred him from collaborating with some of his former partners, hindering his research.

Still, Zhang retains support from some in the government. Though some of Zhangs online posts were deleted, his sit-in protest was reported widely in Chinas state-controlled media, indicating divisions within the Chinese government on how to deal with Zhang and his team.

Thank you to my online followers and people from all walks of life for your concern and strong support over the past few days! Zhang wrote in his post Wednesday.

AP

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Chinese scientist who published COVID-19 virus sequence allowed back in his lab after sit-in protest - Hong Kong Standard