> On Feb 19, 2020, we, a group of physicians, veterinarians, epidemiologists, virologists, biologists, ecologists, and public health experts from around the wor

> On Feb 19, 2020, we, a group of physicians, veterinarians, epidemiologists, virologists, biologists, ecologists, and public health experts from around the world, joined together to express solidarity with our professional colleagues in China.1 Unsubstantiated allegations were being raised about the source of the COVID-19 outbreak and the integrity of our peers who were diligently working to learn more about the newly recognised virus, SARS-CoV-2, while struggling to care for the many patients admitted to hospital with severe illness in Wuhan and elsewhere in China. This is such an odd way to discuss an issue of finding the truth. This first paragraph of the article seems to intentionally try to create a sense of sympathy for the Chinese scientists against whom “unsubstantiated allegations” were being leveled. Of course we should all feel bad for well-intentioned people being thrown into the controversy of the pandemic origins, but this is not about shielding people from difficult circumstances—this is about finding truth so that we can minimize the risk that this ever happens again.