{"id":1701365,"date":"2022-10-18T15:49:21","date_gmt":"2022-10-18T19:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1701365"},"modified":"2022-10-18T15:49:26","modified_gmt":"2022-10-18T19:49:26","slug":"ho-hum-boston-university-creates-potentially-unauthorized-deadly-covid-strain-hybrids-no-big-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ho-hum-boston-university-creates-potentially-unauthorized-deadly-covid-strain-hybrids-no-big-deal\/","title":{"rendered":"Ho-Hum, Boston University Creates Potentially Unauthorized Deadly COVID Strain Hybrids. No Big Deal!"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fho-hum-boston-university-creates-potentially-unauthorized-deadly-covid-strain-hybrids-no-big-deal%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1701365&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Can you guess where this potential scandal occurred based on the following clues?<\/p>\n<p><em>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/world-health-organization-head-now-privately-blames-chinese-lab-for-coronavirus-pandemic-report\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S government-funded lab<\/a>. Potentially unauthorized <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/wuhan-institute-of-virology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">experiments<\/a> creating deadly hybrid COVID strains. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/in-damning-capitol-hill-testimony-scientists-contradict-faucis-claim-that-nih-never-funded-gain-of-function-research\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Denial of gain-of-function research<\/a>. Ties to EcoHealth Alliance. Cries of misinformation.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>That story didn\u2019t happen in Wuhan, China.<\/p>\n<p>It allegedly happened right here in the United States, specifically in Boston, Massachusetts, within the last year.<\/p>\n<p>Last Friday, Boston University\u2019s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories released data claiming that it had combined the original strain of COVID with the omicron variant, resulting in a new strain of COVID that killed 80% of mice in the trial.<\/p>\n<p>The new strain, while less deadly to mice than the original, is more deadly than the omicron variant, according to BU research. The lab denies that it was conducting controversial gain of function experiments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirst, this research is not gain-of-function research, meaning it did not amplify the Washington state SARS-COV-2 virus strain (original virus from 2020) or make it more dangerous,\u201d BU <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2022\/10\/17\/boston-university-researchers-testing-of-lab-made-version-of-covid-virus-draws-government-scrutiny\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> in a statement after media reported the findings on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn fact, this research made the virus replicate less dangerous,\u201d the university claimed.<\/p>\n<p>The information was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2022\/10\/17\/boston-university-researchers-testing-of-lab-made-version-of-covid-virus-draws-government-scrutiny\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">released<\/a> as a \u201cpreprint\u201d and has not been peer-reviewed.<\/p>\n<p>Why was this research necessary at all?<\/p>\n<p>Well, BU <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bostonherald.com\/2022\/10\/17\/boston-university-covid-researchers-combine-omicron-spike-protein-with-original-virus-test-strain-on-mice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">claims<\/a> it is to \u201cfight against future pandemics,\u201d but the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) maintains that the lab was not fully transparent when it applied for approval.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEmily Erbelding, director of NIAID\u2019s division of microbiology and infectious diseases, said the BU team\u2019s original grant applications did not specify that the scientists wanted to do this precise work,\u201d reported STAT, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2022\/10\/17\/boston-university-researchers-testing-of-lab-made-version-of-covid-virus-draws-government-scrutiny\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media outlet<\/a> that focuses on health, medicine, and life sciences. \u201cNor did the group make clear that it was doing experiments that might involve enhancing a pathogen of pandemic potential in the progress reports it provided to NIAID.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In fact, Erbelding claims that NIAID only found out about the study through media reports.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think we\u2019re going to have conversations over upcoming days,\u201d Erbelding remarked to STAT.<\/p>\n<p>Erbelding added that NIAID wished BU had informed the federal agency prior to conducting the work.<\/p>\n<p>In reaction to BU\u2019s denial of impropriety, Richard Ebright, the Board of Governors professor of chemistry and chemical biology at Rutgers University and laboratory director at the Waksman Institute of Microbiology, said that such a defense was false.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe claims in BU\u2019s public statement that: \u2018this research is not gain-of-function research,\u2019 \u2018it did not..make it more dangerous,\u2019 and \u2018this research made the virus replicate less dangerous [sic]\u2019 are demonstrably false and should be deeply embarrassing,\u201d Ebright tweeted.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The claims in BU&#8217;s public statement that: &#8220;this research is not gain-of-function research,&#8221; &#8220;it did not..make it more dangerous,&#8221; and &#8220;this research made the virus replicate less dangerous [sic]&#8221; are demonstrably false and should be deeply embarrassing.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YFA4uVRJEs\">https:\/\/t.co\/YFA4uVRJEs<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Richard H. Ebright (@R_H_Ebright) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/R_H_Ebright\/status\/1582179870221557762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 18, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<p>He also alleged, \u201cIt is concerning that this research\u2013like the research in Wuhan that may have caused the pandemic\u2013was not identified by the funding agency\u201d in the proper manner as enhanced potential pandemic pathogen (ePPP) research.<\/p>\n<p>It would have had to have undergone a lengthy review process if it had been designated ePPP before approval.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It is concerning that this research\u2013like the research in Wuhan that may have caused the pandemic\u2013was not identified by the funding agency as possible ePPP research, was not forwarded to the HHS P3CO Committee, and did not undergo risk-benefit review by the HHS P3CO Committee.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Richard H. Ebright (@R_H_Ebright) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/R_H_Ebright\/status\/1582179879117651969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 18, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Per the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nih.gov\/news-events\/research-involving-potential-pandemic-pathogens\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Institutes of Health<\/a>, \u201cWhile ePPP research is a type of so-called \u2018gain-of-function\u2019 (GOF) research, the vast majority of GOF research does not involve ePPP and falls outside the scope of oversight required for research involving PPPs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So in other words, because BU allegedly did not clear the research with NIAID, the college and researchers really cannot say whether or not this was gain-of-function research. It was never designated as such by the NIAID because NIAID never had the chance to review it.<\/p>\n<p>Adding to the intrigue is that EcoHealth Alliance (EHA), in partnership with Boston University, was recently awarded a $1 million <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/pubs\/2021\/nsf21590\/nsf21590.htm\" data-feathr-click-track=\"true\">Predictive Intelligence for Pandemic Prevention Phase I (PIPP) grant<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>EHA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/fauci-pal-at-center-of-covid-lab-leak-suspicions-gets-new-bat-virus-grant\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">is also tied<\/a> to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where many theorize COVID originated. It is unclear what role, if any, EHA played in Boston University\u2019s latest study.<\/p>\n<p>Virologist Angela Rasmussen, a coronavirus expert at the University of Saskatchewan\u2019s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, claimed that uncertainty about the ePPP rules could explain the confusion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause so much of the definition of ePPP pertains to \u2018reasonable anticipation\u2019 of results in humans (and animal models are not always good proxies of this), it\u2019s very difficult for researchers to say \u2018Oh yes, this is ePPP,\u201d Rasmussen told STAT.<\/p>\n<p>She added that she would reach out when in doubt but noted that the opaque guidance often causes distrust. Rasmussen did not work on BU\u2019s research.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very tired of people suggesting that virologists<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Can you guess where this potential scandal occurred based on the following clues? A U.S government-funded lab. Potentially unauthorized experiments creating deadly hybrid COVID strains. Denial of gain-of-function research. Ties to EcoHealth Alliance. Cries of misinformation.\u00a0 That story didn\u2019t happen in Wuhan, China. It allegedly happened right here in the United States, specifically in Boston, &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1890457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1701365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1701365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1701365"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1701365\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1890457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1701365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1701365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1701365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}