Topline
Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, defended Dr. Anthony Fauci on Thursday against new attacks triggered by a report earlier this week that detailed funding approvals by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for Wuhan coronavirus research.
WASHINGTON DC - JANUARY 22, 2018: Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, participates in a White House...[+] press briefing in the James Brady Press Room of the White House, January 22, 2021, Washington, DC. Psaki spoke on a variety of topics, including the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images). Getty Images
The Key Facts
Fox News reporter Psaki was questioned Thursday by a Fox News reporter about whether Fauci lied about the type of research that was funded by the NIAID at Wuhan Institute of Virology. This topic has been raised frequently by Republicans in recent months and could provide insight into the origins of Covid-19. The Intercept reported Monday that two grant proposals were published by EcoHealth Alliance, a U.S.-based organization dedicated to bat coronavirus research at China's Wuhan Institute of Virology. Critics are using this report to claim that Fauci lied when he said previously that the NIAID did not fund gain-of function research at the Chinese laboratory. This refers to a controversial method where researchers modify a virus to predict its evolution trajectory. At a Thursday press conference, Psaki denied that Fauci had lied to Congress about research's nature and stressed that the viruses under the grant program were not related to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19). Psaki stated that the agency has never approved research that could make a coronavirus worse for humans. Forbes was also reminded by the NIH that it did not approve any research that would make a coronavirus more dangerous to humans.
Important Quote
In China, coronaviruses are common, we supported research to understand how coronaviruses in bats behave. The NIH sent an email explaining that the support was to help understanding the behavior of coronaviruses in bats. This research has produced a body of science that shows that the bat coronavirus sequences that were published from that work NIH funded are not SARS-CoV-2. Importantly, similar research on coronaviruses allowed us to quickly develop vaccines against SARS and save lives.
Tangent
The Intercept published the first grant proposal. It sought funding to screen thousands of bat samples and people who work with live animals for novel coronaviruses. The proposal also acknowledged the dangers of such research. The grant was granted for five years, starting in 2014. It was then renewed in 2019. However, the Trump administration suspended it in April 2020. The second grant, which was focused on mobilizing resources in Asia in the event of an emerging infectious disease outbreak, was approved by Trump in August 2020.
Important Background
It is not clear that laboratory experiments are the cause of the Covid-19 pandemic. This subject has sparked months of heated partisan debate. Republicans accuse Democrats of not paying attention to the lab-leak theory, while scientists are increasingly calling for a thorough review. Fauci and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), have previously clashed over research funded by Faucis agency. Fauci insists that gain-of-function techniques were never used at Wuhan, and emphasizes that the viruses under the grant program are not related to SARS Covid-2.
Chief Critic
Paul, Fauci's most famous critic, quickly seized on the newly published documents this week. The Kentucky Republican posted on Twitter that I was correct about Fauci's agency funding Wuhan's novel coronavirus research. Fauci lies again.
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