5 ms·
Is important for historians? How would it be important for "clinical reasons"?
by amanaplanacanal 5y ago
Is important for historians? How would it be important for "clinical reasons"?
- acrobatsunfish 5y agoIf it's a lab, changing lab security and safety procedures would seem pretty important.
- rleigh 5y agoThe most obvious reason would be this: preventing a repeat occurrence. We can't learn from our mistakes if we are prevented from finding out what the mistake was... If the virus did get released from a supposedly secure research facility, this has huge implications for research policy and biosecurity standards worldwide. If the virus did originate from gain-of-function research, this again has implications upon whether we permit it or ban it worldwide. It was already banned in the US and other Western nations on safety grounds; maybe it's not safe anywhere in the world given that it could result in a global pandemic. But without concrete evidence and open discussion, it won't be possible to make policy based upon rational discussion and decision-making. Given the global impact of the pandemic, it would behoove us to give such investigation a high priority, given its profound importance to our long-term health and prosperity.