The Academy of Medicine leans for a laboratory leak – Liberation
Suddenly, the president of the Academy of Medicine speaks, from his headquarters in the public. « This report was adopted 97 % », Note Jean-Noël Fiessinger, there is therefore a « Almost unanimity » Academicians who lean for a laboratory leak in the quest on the origin of the COVID-19, he concludes. The institution presented its report, « from the origin of SARS-COV-2 to the risks of zoonoses and dangerous manipulations of viruses », during a press conference this Wednesday, April 2. If Christine Rouzioux, virologist and report coordinator, thinks « That we will never have the answer » To the question of the conditions of emergence of the pandemic which killed 168,000 in France, it concedes « A conviction » For the hypothesis of a laboratory leak, « Supported by a bundle of facts and arguments ».
The other possibility is a natural transmission of the bat to man through an intermediate animal unidentified In the Wuhan market. A track that « Was more than legitimate » At the start of the pandemic, noted the academy in its report which does not bring new elements, but offers a reading of literature on the subject. It will be noted that French scientists holding this hypothesis have not been interviewed by the working group. No foreign specialist was heard either, for lack of time, replied the Academy. It must be said that the debate on the origins of the covid is handing, in particular because of the lack of irrefutable evidence, on one side or the other, and before the opacity of the Chinese regime. Proof of these tensions, The researcher Florence is getting, who is leaning for a natural origin of the pandemicjudge this report « Scientifically needy » And « Unworthy of the institution that publishes it ». Atmosphere. Jean-Claude Manuguerra, head of the emergency biological intervention unit at the Pasteur Institute and Vice-President of Sago, the scientific committee set up by the World Health Organization to give a scientific opinion on the origins of the COVID, is more polite. “This report is not very precise. He is not going so much in the background and is based on generalities ”, he tells us. Himself has « Trend to think that the most classic hypothesis, that of a natural transmission, holds a little more the rope ».
“There are two parts in this report. One on the origins investigation. And the other on what we have to do now ”, intervenes Jean-François DELFRAISSYpresident of the National Ethics Committee and member of the working group behind this document. It is on this second part that the Academy of Medicine wishes to insist. « In the articles I see passing, no one is talking about biosecurity », is sorry Christine Rouzioux. In fact, if the hypothesis of an outing of the Sars-Cov-2 of a Wuhan laboratory is not certain, it is nonetheless theoretically possible. « The idea of wanting to move forward and drawing the consequences of one of the two hypotheses seems very very good to me »abounds Jean-Claude Manuguerra.
Two elements make it possible. On the one hand, « The underestimation by the researchers themselves » the development of risk techniques. « Recent literature describes several examples showing that a number of teams are pursuing experiences under conditions that they consider without risk, while others consider it irresponsible to practice such experiences deemed dangerous, due to the impossibility of estimating the consequences in the event of accidents »underlines the report. In virology, certain practices deserve to be questioned. Scientists do not hesitate to make more dangerous viruses potentially pandemic by making them acquire new characteristics in so -called « function gain » research.
On the other hand, researchers are able to synthesize in laboratory any known virus. In 2021, Patrick Berche, also author of this report, already asked in Releasethe prohibition of this type of practice. Here, the Academy of Medicine is not as radical. It offers awareness of the community and a supervision of practices. In detail, his plan involves training on the subject of risk, the formation of ethics cells to assess risky research, strengthening biosecurity rules and harmonization of practices internationally. « The doubt, the plausibility of a laboratory leak gives all their senses to the recommendations », comments Jean-Claude Manuguerra again. Moreover, the Academy proposes to draw inspiration from the measures taken within the Pasteur Institute to supervise this type of research. It also offers to innovate by creating black boxes, on the aviation model, in which all the acts of a lab would be recorded. This would easily have the truth in the event of an accident. Almost a pile wish as China seems opaque and the United States on an obscurantist slope.
By emphasizing the risks caused by research in virology, the Academy of Medicine puts forward, on the other hand, recommendations fairly low to reduce the risk of natural transmission of animals to humans. She does not take a position on the destruction of habitats which lead wild species to get in touch with humans or on Industrial farms which constitute virus incubators, allowing the pathogen to multiply very quickly. This is exactly what is happening in the United States, with the H5N1 flu virus in cattle. « It was not our point »recognizes Christine Rouzioux. Damage.
