A call for an independent inquiry into the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Harrison, Neil L.; Sachs, Jeffrey D.

doi:10.1073/pnas.2202769119

Cited by 39 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 25 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The FCS may explain why SARS-CoV-2 has caused a pandemic, while the estimated 66,000 sarbecovirus spillovers every year (Sánchez et al 2022) do not. The FCS in SARS-CoV-2 is highly similar to one found in α-ENaC, a human epithelial Na channel gene (Anand et al 2020; Harrison and Sachs 2022), which would be unusual for a sarbecovirus evolving in an animal host. However, the human-like ENaC is compatible with multiple explanations including lucky alignments, a non-human α-ENaC, acquisition of α-ENaC from post-spillover recombination, and more.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 67%

Endonuclease fingerprint indicates a synthetic origin of SARS-CoV-2

Bruttel

Washburne²,

VanDongen

2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

To prevent future pandemics, it is important that we understand whether SARS-CoV-2 spilled over directly from animals to people, or indirectly in a laboratory accident. The genome of SARS-COV-2 contains a peculiar pattern of unique restriction endonuclease recognition sites allowing efficient dis- and re-assembly of the viral genome characteristic of synthetic viruses. Here, we report the likelihood of observing such a pattern in coronaviruses with no history of bioengineering. We find that SARS-CoV-2 is an anomaly, more likely a product of synthetic genome assembly than natural evolution. The restriction map of SARS-CoV-2 is consistent with many previously reported synthetic coronavirus genomes, meets all the criteria required for an efficient reverse genetic system, differs from closest relatives by a significantly higher rate of synonymous mutations in these synthetic-looking recognitions sites, and has a synthetic fingerprint unlikely to have evolved from its close relatives. We report a high likelihood that SARS-CoV-2 may have originated as an infectious clone assembled in vitro.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 67%

Endonuclease fingerprint indicates a synthetic origin of SARS-CoV-2

Bruttel

Washburne²,

VanDongen

2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Interestingly, infection with BANAL-236 conferred cross-protection in mice against a SARS-CoV-2 challenge, which suggests that herd immunity against putative more virulent bat sarbecovirus strains could exist in local human populations frequently infected by bat viruses, albeit not detected in our study. Alternatively, human infection might have occurred in the course of experimental virus isolation in the laboratory (27). Concerning the first hypothesis, we are pursuing investigations in caves located within this vast karstic biotope shared by China and neighboring countries.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

SARS-CoV-2-Related Bat Virus in Human Relevant Models Sheds Light on the Proximal Origin of COVID-19

Temmam

Montagutelli

Hérate

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Bat sarbecovirus BANAL-236 is highly related to SARS-CoV-2 and infects human cells, albeit lacking the furin cleavage site in its spike protein. To inform on the origin of SARS-CoV-2, we evaluated the clinical, epidemiological and evolutionary consequences of a potential BANAL-236 spillover into humans using animal models. The virus replicates efficiently and pauci-symptomatically in humanized mice and in macaques, where its tropism is enteric, strongly differing from that of SARS-CoV-2. BANAL-236 infection leads to protection against superinfection by a more virulent strain like Wuhan SARS-CoV-2. Yet we found no evidence of antibodies recognizing bat sarbecoviruses in populations highly exposed to bats, indicating that such infections, if they occur, are rare. Six passages in mice or in human intestinal cells, mimicking putative early spillover events, selected adaptive mutations without appearance of a furin cleavage site and not change in virulence. We thus conclude that the hypothesis of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic being preceded by silent circulation in humans of BANAL-236-like strains leading to the acquisition of a furin cleavage site is unlikely. Our studies suggest that a specific search for a furin cleavage site in sarbecoviruses in the wild should be pursued to understand the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemics.

show abstract

“…For example, by mid-Spring 2020, discussion of the laboratory origins of SARS-CoV-2 was forbidden on certain social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook (Jacobs 2021). More recently the lab-leak theory has since gained more legitimacy, especially following articles in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Harrison and Sachs 2022), Frontiers in Virology (Ambati 2022) and Vanity Fair (Eban 2022) as well as a statement by WHO director-general Ghebreyesus, who commented on an interim report by the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens, saying that all hypotheses need to be considered and criticizing the report for inadequate assessment of the lab-leak hypothesis (WHO 2022). Another example relates to the necessity of mask wearing: US officials such as the director of the National Institute of Allergic and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Anthony Fauci, are on record recommending against universal mask wearing in March 2020, only to change their position in April to recommend universal mask wearing and mandates (Roche 2021).…”

Section: Censorship Of Covid-19 Heterodoxymentioning

confidence: 99%

Censorship and Suppression of Covid-19 Heterodoxy: Tactics and Counter-Tactics

Shir-Raz

Elisha

Martin

et al. 2022

Minerva

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The emergence of COVID-19 has led to numerous controversies over COVID-related knowledge and policy. To counter the perceived threat from doctors and scientists who challenge the official position of governmental and intergovernmental health authorities, some supporters of this orthodoxy have moved to censor those who promote dissenting views. The aim of the present study is to explore the experiences and responses of highly accomplished doctors and research scientists from different countries who have been targets of suppression and/or censorship following their publications and statements in relation to COVID-19 that challenge official views. Our findings point to the central role played by media organizations, and especially by information technology companies, in attempting to stifle debate over COVID-19 policy and measures. In the effort to silence alternative voices, widespread use was made not only of censorship, but of tactics of suppression that damaged the reputations and careers of dissenting doctors and scientists, regardless of their academic or medical status and regardless of their stature prior to expressing a contrary position. In place of open and fair discussion, censorship and suppression of scientific dissent has deleterious and far-reaching implications for medicine, science, and public health.

show abstract

A call for an independent inquiry into the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Cited by 39 publications

References 25 publications

Endonuclease fingerprint indicates a synthetic origin of SARS-CoV-2

Endonuclease fingerprint indicates a synthetic origin of SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2-Related Bat Virus in Human Relevant Models Sheds Light on the Proximal Origin of COVID-19

Censorship and Suppression of Covid-19 Heterodoxy: Tactics and Counter-Tactics

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About