{"id":2042880,"date":"2023-09-24T01:58:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-24T05:58:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nih-doctor-flagged-wuhan-virus-lab-safety-problems-as-early-as-2017\/"},"modified":"2023-09-24T02:02:41","modified_gmt":"2023-09-24T06:02:41","slug":"nih-doctor-flagged-wuhan-virus-lab-safety-problems-as-early-as-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nih-doctor-flagged-wuhan-virus-lab-safety-problems-as-early-as-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"NIH Doctor raised concerns about Wuhan lab safety in 2017."},"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\">20<\/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%2Fnih-doctor-flagged-wuhan-virus-lab-safety-problems-as-early-as-2017%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=2042880&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--><blockquote>\n<h2>A Doctor&#8217;s Report Raises Concerns About Safety\u2062 at Wuhan Lab<\/h2>\n<p>In 2017, a doctor working for \u200cthe \u2063U.S. government\u2062 visited the Wuhan\u200c Institute of Virology (WIV)\u200b in\u2062 China, where the \u2063COVID-19\u200c virus may have originated. \u2062Dr. Ping Chen, from\u2062 the National Institute of Allergy and\u2064 Infectious\u2064 Diseases (NIAID), sounded the \u200balarm on safety issues at the lab. Her report,\u2064 obtained by The Epoch Times, revealed \u200dthe need for training\u2062 support at the facility.<\/p>\n<p>According to Senator Ron\u200c Johnson,\u2062 parts \u2062of Dr. \u2064Chen&#8217;s report were redacted, but an in-camera\u200b review\u2064 allowed some \u2063of \u200bthe redactions to\u2063 be \u200dremoved. The report suggests that the U.S. \u200bDepartment\u2064 of Health and\u200b Human\u2064 Services (HHS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were aware of safety concerns\u2062 at the Wuhan \u200blab as early \u2063as October 2017.<\/p>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/federal-government-relaunches-covid-19-testing-program-5495467?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>Federal Government Relaunches COVID-19 Testing\u2064 Program<\/strong><\/a>  &#8211; 9\/20\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/health\/covid-19-virus-levels-in-wastewater-have-dropped-according-to-analysts-5495258?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><strong>COVID-19 Virus Levels in Wastewater Have Dropped, According to Analysts<\/strong><\/a>  \u200b- 9\/20\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Dr. Chen&#8217;s report served \u2063as the basis for a State Department cable in 2018 that\u200b raised safety \u200cconcerns about the Wuhan lab. The lab leak theory suggests that the virus escaped from the facility, where risky \u2062research\u2064 on bat coronaviruses was being \u2062conducted.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:1167px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>The P4 laboratory\u2063 on the campus of the \u200bWuhan Institute of Virology in\u2062 Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on May 13, 2020. \u2064(Hector \u200dRetamal\/AFP\u200d via Getty \u2064Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Senator\u200b Johnson demanded that HHS provide an unredacted version of Dr.\u200b Chen&#8217;s report and all <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/arizona-ag-despite-a-crisis-at-the-border-internal-emails-reveal-the-federal-government-is-effectively-abolishing-ice\/\" title=\"Arizona AG: Despite A Crisis At The Border, Internal Emails Reveal The Federal Government Is \u2018Effectively Abolishing ICE\u2019\">related documents<\/a>. He accused \u2064HHS\u200c and \u200cNIH of obstructing his probe into the safety concerns at the Wuhan \u2062lab.<\/p>\n<p>While Chinese officials deny the lab leak claim, evidence suggests a &#8220;preponderance \u200cof evidence&#8221; for the theory. U.S.\u200c intelligence agencies have stated that \u2062both a natural origin and a \u2062lab leak\u2062 are plausible \u2062hypotheses.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>Demands for Transparency<\/h2>\n<p>Senator Johnson demanded that HHS provide unredacted copies of Dr.\u2063 Chen&#8217;s report and allow her to testify before \u200da congressional panel. He set\u2063 an October 5 deadline for compliance.<\/p>\n<p>HHS has not yet responded to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli\u2063 is seen inside \u2063the P4 laboratory in \u200dWuhan, China, on Feb. 23, 2017. (Johannes Eisele\/AFP\u2062 via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>Controversy Surrounding Wuhan Lab Funding<\/h2>\n<p>The U.S. Agency for \u2064International Development (USAID) provided funding to the Wuhan\u2062 Institute of \u200cVirology between 2009 and 2019. The funding was intended for research on viruses that\u200c could pose a threat to \u2062humans, but allegations of gain-of-function research have\u2064 been made.<\/p>\n<p>In response\u200b to the controversy, the House Appropriations Committee approved a ban on further funding\u2063 to the Wuhan lab. The NIH also removed the lab from its list \u200bof eligible\u2063 facilities for U.S. taxpayer funds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What were the significant safety \u2062issues highlighted \u200bin Dr. Chen&#8217;s report on the Wuhan Institute of Virology?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  :600px&#8221;><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/assets\/uploads\/2023\/09\/20\/Screenshot_2023-09-15_at_5.46.40_PM-1--600x400.png\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,\" style=\"max-width: 100%; border-radius:0; display: block; margin: 0 auto;\"><\/p>\n<p>Concerns about the safety\u2062 at the Wuhan Institute of \u2063Virology\u200c (WIV)\u200b have been raised once again, this time by a doctor \u200bworking for the U.S. government. Dr. Ping Chen, from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), visited the lab in 2017\u200c and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-railroad-administration-cited-serious-safety-concerns-days-before-union-pacific-explosion\/\" title=\"Days before the Union Pacific explosion, the Federal Railroad Administration raised serious safety concerns.\">highlighted significant safety issues<\/a>\u2064 in her report, which has recently been \u200bobtained by The \u200dEpoch Times.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2064 report, which was partially redacted, reveals the urgent need for training\u2062 support at\u2063 the facility. However, an in-camera review\u2064\u2064 allowed some of \u2063the redactions to be\u200b removed, shedding light on the seriousness of the safety concerns\u2062. It suggests that the U.S. Department\u2064 of Health and\u200b\u2062 Human\u2064 Services (HHS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH)\u2063 were \u200baware of these concerns as\u2062 early\u200c \u2063as October \u20632017.<\/p>\n<p>The importance\u200c of Dr. Chen&#8217;s report is further emphasized by the fact\u200c that it served as the basis for a State Department cable in 2018, \u2063which also raised safety \u200cconcerns about the Wuhan lab. This lab leak \u2063theory, which has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/conservatorship-what-is-the-controversial-legal-measure-highlighted-by-the-blind-side-and-britney-spears\/\" title=\"Conservatorship: Controversial legal measure in The Blind Side and Britney Spears.\">gained significant \u200battention<\/a> in recent times, speculates that the\u2062 COVID-19 virus\u2064 escaped from the facility during risky \u2062research\u2064 on bat coronaviruses.<\/p>\n<p>The safety concerns at the\u2063 Wuhan lab\u2062 have \u2062become a subject \u2062of \u200cglobal\u2064 interest due to the potential connection between the lab and the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. The possibility of a lab \u2063leak has been debated extensively \u2062but has faced challenges \u200din terms of definitive evidence. However, the emergence of Dr. Chen&#8217;s report, along with the acknowledgment that the U.S. government\u2064 was aware of safety concerns at the lab, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alabama-ag-ketanji-brown-jackson-wants-fundamental-redesign-of-criminal-justice-system\/\" title=\"Alabama AG: Ketanji Brown Jackson Wants 'Fundamental Redesign' of Criminal Justice System\">raises important questions<\/a> about the management \u200dand oversight of such facilities.<\/p>\n<p>It is essential to prioritize the safety and \u200bsecurity of facilities involved in virus research, especially those studying \u200chighly infectious diseases like\u200b coronaviruses. Proper protocols, rigorous training, and consistent oversight are fundamental pillars of maintaining safety in these environments.<\/p>\n<p>The findings from Dr. Chen&#8217;s report underline the need for enhanced \u200binternational cooperation \u2063and transparency in the field of \u200dvirology \u200cresearch. It is crucial to establish\u2062 robust mechanisms for\u2063 sharing information, conducting regular safety\u2063 audits, and implementing stringent safety protocols to prevent future incidents that could have catastrophic consequences.<\/p>\n<p>The international community, led by organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO),\u2064 should work together to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nih-doctor-flagged-wuhan-virus-lab-safety-problems-as-early-as-2017\/\" title=\"NIH Doctor raised concerns about Wuhan lab safety in 2017.\">strengthen global biosafety standards<\/a> and create a culture of accountability and transparency in all \u2063laboratories involved \u200din virus research. This \u2062would\u200c not only ensure\u2064 the safety of researchers and staff but also\u2062 foster trust and confidence among nations in collaborating on critical scientific endeavors.<\/p>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Federal Government Relaunches COVID-19 Testing\u2064 Program &#8211; 9\/20\/2023<\/li>\n<li>COVID-19\u2063 Virus Levels in\u200b Wastewater \u200bHave\u200c Dropped,\u2063 According to Analysts &#8211; 9\/20\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As the\u2063 world continues to grapple with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it \u200dis imperative\u200b to\u200c learn from \u200dpast mistakes and take proactive measures to minimize the risk of future outbreaks. The concerns raised by Dr. Chen&#8217;s report shed light on the need for comprehensive \u200bsafety protocols\u200c and adherence to high standards in all \u200bvirus \u2064research laboratories\u2064 worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>Efforts \u2063to prevent \u200band\u2063 mitigate the impact of\u200b infectious diseases rely heavily on the scientific community&#8217;s commitment to excellence, transparency, and accountability. Safeguarding the public health and ensuring the\u2063 well-being of future generations necessitates \u200ca collective commitment to \u200cmaintaining the highest level of safety in virology research.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A U.S. government doctor, Dr. Ping Chen, visited a China-based virus research facility in 2017. Documents obtained by The Epoch Times reveal that Dr. Chen raised concerns about safety issues at the lab, where the COVID-19 pathogen may have leaked from. This information contradicts previous reports and highlights the doctor&#8217;s early alarm on the matter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":118,"featured_media":2042881,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2042880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"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\/2042880","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\/118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2042880"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2042880\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2042881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2042880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2042880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2042880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}